People of all ages seem to spend less time in the kitchen these days. Restaurant attendance has jumped more than 30 percent in the past decade because we are busier than ever and getting everyone to sit at the same time… well…
But, many seniors grew up with regular family dinners and, in their adult lives, lovingly prepared many meals for family. Over time, however, the interest and motivation to cook at home may be diminished by physical abilities, appetite or motivation to go fancy for two or even one person. What happens then is our senior loved ones find convenient foods like microwave dinners or cans or soup, which are good sustenance but perhaps not nutritionally optimal.
So what can we do as family or caregivers to help make the kitchen a little more inviting and accessible? Here are some ideas from SeniorCareCorner.com
- Updates: levers instead of handles on faucets and larger drawer pulls
- Utensils with wide-handles and/or rubber grips
- Pots and pans with handles on both sides for two-handed pickup
- Rubber trivets under bowls or cutting boards to keep them from slipping. (Wet paper towels will do in a pinch)
- Color code knife handles and other sharps with bright tape to avoid picking up the wrong end
- Add a pizza cutter to the utility drawer for pancakes, fruit or meats to cut down on knife usage
- Create menus and shopping lists for no-cook meals like salads, smoothies, fruit/cheese/meat platters
- Rubber grips under rugs to prevent slipping
If you want to go the extra mile, perhaps a wheel-walker if your senior is not able to stand for long periods but wants to monitor what’s on the stove.
And of course, there’s always the Meals on Wheels program, which means hot nutritionally balanced food at lunch time and a well check every day! Visit our website for more details!